42-39857 | American Air Museum

42-39857

Delivered Long Beach 23/9/43; Walla Walla 9/11/43; Assigned 401BG Deenethorpe 26/10/43; transferred 511BS/351BG [DS-H] Polebrook 18/11/43; 16m Missing in Action Ashersleben 22/2/44 with John Pugh, Co-pilot: Bob Hart, Navigator: Bill Schmitz, Bombardier: Rich Gilbert, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Ralph Broide, Radio Operator: John Seuer, Ball turret gunner: Isaac Guest, Waist gunner: Nick Mustacchia, Waist gunner: Adam Quinn,Tail gunner: Carter Gibson (10 Prisoner of War); shot down by enemy aircraft, crash landed Bernburg area, Ger; Missing Air Crew Report 2656. BELLE OF THE BALL.

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 351st Bomb Group.

351st Bomb Group

Unit Hierarchy: Group
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Bombardment

The insignia of the 511th Bomb Squadron, 351st Bomb Group.

511th Bomb Squadron

Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Bombardment

People

Ralph D Broide

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 351st Bomb Group 511th Bomb Squadron
Highest Rank: Sergeant
Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner

Richard J Broide

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 351st Bomb Group 511th Bomb Squadron
Highest Rank: Sergeant
Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner

Carter Gibson

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 351st Bomb Group 511th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 1614553
Highest Rank: Sergeant
Role/Job: Tail Gunner

Richard J Gilbert

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 351st Bomb Group 511th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: O-736700
Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
Role/Job: Bombardier

Isaac G Guest

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 351st Bomb Group 511th Bomb Squadron
Highest Rank: Sergeant
Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner

Places

Bomber crews from the 401st Bomb Group look over P-51 Mustang, FT-T, serial number 43-12172, of the 353rd Fighter Squadron, 354th Fighter Group, at Deenethorpe airfield. One of their B-17 Flying Fortresses is in the background. Printed caption on reverse of print: '...401st Bomb Group look over a North American P-51 Mustang at an 8th Air Force base in England, 27 December 1943.'

Deenethorpe

Site type: Airfield
Known as: Benefield

A B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-107124) of the 351st Bomb Group flies over Polebrook.

Polebrook

Site type: Airfield

Events

Event

Location

Date

Description

Other

Failed to Return (FTR)

Germany

22 February 1944

Revisions

Date27 Sep 2014 18:40:50

ContributorAAM

Changes

Sources

Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 2656 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database